Ric Forster - Writer Director

Producing Neighbours zombie webisodes

Happy to share news of a new multiplatform Neighbours project: the Erinsborough Zombie Apocalypse! Very excited to be working with YouTuber Louna Maroun over the next few months to resurrect some past Neighbours characters… and have them attack the street. From creating the original concept, I’ll be developing the story, producing and editing the webisodes.

Here’s the official press release:

Following on from the successful launch of Neighbours interactive webisodes last month, FremantleMedia Australia and Screen Australia have announced another dynamic digital initiative for the iconic drama series as it head into its 30th year.

Neighbours – Zombie Edition is a five-part web series for YouTube featuring much loved Neighbours characters as they face an impending zombie apocalypse. The series will parody all the classic zombie cliches – a pet becomes infected, the group splits up, the uninfected pose as zombies – whilst gently having fun with previous Neighbours storylines when characters return from the dead.

Featuring local YouTube content creator Louna Maroun, the co-production between FremantleMedia Australia and Boom Video will target a 13-17-year-old audience as well as expose Louna to a new international audience.

The series will play out over 5 x 5-minute episodes, released daily on the ‘Neighbours Official’ YouTube channel, with behind the scenes making-of clips appearing on Louna’s channel.

The Neighbours ? Zombie Edition is funded by Screen Australia?s Skip Ahead program. It was developed to provide five local YouTube creators with the funding and production resources needed to create unique online content and engage new audiences internationally.

Neighbours’ Digital team will commence production in the coming months with the first episode going live the second half of this year.

The partnership with Louna and FMA?s success in the Skip Ahead program is a result of the handwork and creativity of Director of Digital Content Alicia Hamilton, Neighbours Digital Content Producer Ric Forster and the FMA and Neighbours digital teams.